Flash light



R. J. SMITH FLASH'LIGHT April 12, 1927..-

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 --Filed June 5f, 192e Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNI-TED "STATES, PATENT. orties;

Haussmann J. SMITH, or soUTH :BETHLEHmL new Yofax, AssIeNon To THE BAT- Lns-LITE co., comrosnn or mnnnnn A. SMITH AND CHARLES z. SMITH-30TH or ALBANY, NEW YORK.

Application led June 5,

.This invention, relates to electric flashlights of the same general type which are 'now used with dry cell batteries, but which employ a generating means for their source ofenergy in lieu of the batteries whereby the expense and inconvenience of the replacement of the batteries are eliminated.

The invention primarily comprehends a flash-light including a generator preferably operable by a spring motor vand contemplates further, manually operable means for controlling the speed of the generator with-v in defined limits for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the' intensity of the light in accordance with the use to which the same is 'to be put, whereby jthe operator may-conservethe power of the spring motor to prevent undue winding thereof; to increase the len h of life of the lamp filament, and genera ly to eliminate unnecessary wear on the working parts.

The invention furthermore aims to provide a flash-light of the character set forth in which the generator may be started with eration of a maximum current and pre uding a failure of the generator to operate when the tensionof the terially reduced.

vThe invention furthermore contemplates in a flash-light generator of' the character spring motor is ma'- specied, an automatic keeper means for the dued diffused beam may be produced at .theA

will of the operator.- y

` `As a further object the invention comprehends a common manually operated'means -adapted upon various shifting movements to start or'stop the spring motor, control the speed o f the eneratorfand ,focus the lamp. The inventlon furthermore resides in the rovsion of' a flash-light as .heretofore set x Orth, which is comparatively simplein its i constructionand mode of,oper'ation,. which no load, thereby insuring a more rapid gem,

FLASH LIGHT. .Y

192s. serial no. 113,965..

maybe produced on an economical basis, and whlchis highly eiicient in its purpose. With the above recited and-other objects 1n .v1ew, reference is had to the following specification andA accompanying drawings in which there' is exhibited -one example 0r em'- bodiment of the invention which is in no way intended as a limitation upon 'the .scope 60 of the appended claims asv it is to be clearly understood that variations and modifications which properly fall within the scope of said claims may be resorted to when found expedient.

In the drawings- Y Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a flash-light constructed in' accordance with the invention.;

Figsf2, 3, 4, 5 and Gare transverse sec- 70 1, and lookinglrespectively, in the directions indicated by t e arrows;

Fig. 7 is al fragmentary'longitudinal sec- 75 tional viewl taken approximate y on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6' indicating the normal inactive position of the operatingparts;

Fi `8 is a Similar view taken approximate y on the line'8-8 of Fig. 6, illustrating so Athe active position of the parts;

Fig. 9 is a detail edge view of the main bearing wallof the train of gearing and the rotor or-armature shaft. i

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the flash-light' includes a suitable casing 10 which is preferably of cylindrical formation and having threadedly engaged on its forward end a ring 11 'which serves to clamp the reflector 12 and lens 13 90 in properly related position to each other and tothe forward end ofthe casing. The rea-r end 14.v of the casing is of a reduced `diameter and. snugly receives the substantiallyj cup-shaped rear casing 'section 15.

-The main body 10- of the casin substantially Aat its'juncture with the 'rey uced rear end .14, -is provided with a transverse wall 16, which is secured in place in any suitable manner,l such as by sclews 17 threaded into la. rearwardly bent ears 18. 'The wall 16 has secured centrally thereof and projecting a hollow shaft 2O is rotatably mounted. The

1 shaft has keyed thereto a ratchet wheel 21 and the shaft and ratchet are held against rearward accidental movement and displacement from the bearing trunnion bya transverse bar 22 secured in spaced relation to the bearing wall b the lfastening elements or screws l-whic lthread into forwardly bent ears 23. yThe transverse bar 22 is fprovided with a central aperture 24 of a diameter to snu ly receive -the' hollow shaft 20, while the oss or hub 25 of the ratchet wheel abuts said bar and is vrotatably retained between the forward face of the bar and the rear face of the wall 16. At its rear end the shaft 20 has secured therein a stud 26 formed with a reduced rearwardly extending portion 27y which is engaged in the .centrally threaded aperture of a reinforcing spider 28 rivetedor otherwise secured to the end Wall 29 of thecup-shaped rear casing so that, the

. said rear casing section is connected to the spring lbar rel 38 an shaft. 20y and upon rotation ina clockwise direction, fu nctions to turn the shaft 20 and ratchet `wheel 21 therewith. It is also obvious that turning movement in an antivclockwise direction will -eHect unthreading and detachment of the casing section 15 from the. shaft when it is desired to gain access to the interior of the rear portlon of the Hash-light..

Mountedon the hollow shaft in axially alined relation are a pair of spring'sleevesspring being so vdisposed that turning move-v ment of 'therear casing section 15in aclockwise direction will effect a winding of the spring. A second sprin barrel 38 is loosely mounted on the spring s eeve 31 and its forward wall 39 is inthe form of an internal or ring gear. A second helical or coil spring' 40 is arranged. within the second has its inner'end'se-A cured to the spring. sleeve 31 and its outer end secured to the outer wall of the said Ivious that the two spring .units are coupled kspring barrel similar to the arrangement of the first-mentioned spring, so that it is obin gang formation whereby clockwise turning movement of the rear casing section '15 w l eect winding of both of said springs.'

The ratchet 21 is engaged by a pawl 41' mounted onand pivotedat'42 to the rear' i face of* the partition wallf 16, a spring 43 serving tonormally eiectengagement of the pawl with the ratchet wheel 21 so asv tolock lbar 22, the partition wall 16 and the rear wall 46 `of a generator housing 47, which rearwall is spaced'forwardly from the partition wall 16 to define a compartment within which a suitable train of'gears is arrangedforl increasing the speed of the generator rotor shaft 48, which generator rotor shaft is formed with a reduced bearing terminal 49 journaled in the bore of the tubular bearing trumiion 19.

The generator includes a rotor. 50 secured to the rotor shaft 48 arranged within the rotor casing `47, and made u of laminations.

-The rotor is of the six-po e armature type in the embodiment illustrated, and constitutes a permanent magnet, which is designed to rotate at a high rate of speed, and the eld which consists of six generator coils 51v wound in series about the six laminated-'fv cores 52. One terminal 53 of the wire which constitutes the generator coils is connected to an insulated contact arm 54 whichris Secured to the generator housing andv insulated therefrom so that the free end of the contact arm is disposed adjacent. the inner periphery of the casing 10. The otherterminal 55 of the wire which constitutes the lgenerator coils leads to and connects with the insulated central contact element 56 ofv Vportion 60 of the generator housing so-that the lamp socket and lamp are mounted for axial movement with res ect to the fixed reflector 12 for focusing t e lamp in accordancey with the manner in which it is to be used. l

In order to govern the speed of rotation of the generator rotor, a centrifufral -governor is employed which consists o? a pair of spring arms 61 attached to the rotor shaft at their inner ends and havinvI weights 62 secured to their free ends with ber or other suitable terminal pieces '63 projecting beyond the weights 'and spring arm terminals; In drdei' to provide means for regulating vided and is mounted for axial sliding movement with respect fto the governorarms on a .the radial expansion of the weighted govi Vernor arms, a drum-like member 64 is proing al manipulating lhandle 72 disposed ex.-

bore .66 in-l which the forward end of the rotor vshaft is mounted. The drum/-like member 64 is provided with a frusto-conical forward portion 67`which presents gradually increasing internal.v diameters toward the rearend so that upon forward movement theterminal pieces engaging therewith are .permitted to expand to a greater degree for `increasing the speed of rotation of the rotor.

Conversely, rearward movement of the member 64 reduces the radial expansion of the governor-arms .to reduce the speed of rotation of the rotor. In order to provide 'means for shifting the member 64 forwardly or rearwardly, a shifting fork 68 isprovided,

which is fulcru-med in a bearing member 69,

Athe terminals of the fork engaging in the hooked lugs 70 on'thev forward end of the member 64. The shifting fork is provided with an outwardly projecting arm 71 havteriorly-.of the casing 10 and said arm ex.

tends through a plate 7 3 slidable on the inner Vface of the` casing adjacent the slot 74 through lwhich the arm 71 projects.

The plate is provided witha depending contact finger 75 in the 'path of movement of which the contact arm 54 is disposed so that after an initial swinging movement of the arm 71, l the Contact linger 7 5. will engage the arm 54 to close the circuit to the lamp. In order to maintain the plate 73 Vagainst the inner periphery the arm` will remain in any position that `it is placed, a coiled expansion spring 76 is interposed between the bearing stud and the .i lends77 extending throughy a ertures inthe..

Atrolling' the linnerface of the plate,

The member 64 in addition to serving as a. governor regulating device, also'locks the rotor shaft and spring motor against turning 'movement by the frictional 'engage`' ment with and braking action against the forward side of the rotor 50. The member 64 also. serves as a magnetic keeper means for the permanent magnets of the rotor for preventing undue loss of magnetism, and, at

the Sametime, due tothe fact that it is magneticallyattractedvby the rotor, functions to, prevent accidental movement of the same rearwardlytoits active position. Y

lIn order that the handle 72l may further serve in the capacity of a means for axially shifting the lamp socket and lamp-to regulate the'focus of the flash-light the stub shafts Y59 .are provided with reduced rear member 64 and define, att e juncture of 'said reduced ends 77 with thestub shafts,

shoulders with which the member 64 en gages' after a predetermined amount of `movement, to Aslide the stub shafts 59 and the socket and lam axially forward.- Coiled expansion'springs. 9 vare connected with the l stub-shafts ,adjacent the shoulders 78 .and

the opposite endsbear against.4 the inner` of the casing 10 tightly so that ,'tinued rearward movement of the manipulating handle 72 moves the member 64 axially forward.` thereby allowing, due to the socket and lamp are moved by the pins rear- .wardly until the lamp socket engages the endof the portion of said housing.-

In order to provide means for lubricating thel bearings of the gear train, oil-soaked strips of material 80 are arranged in chanf nel-like plates 81 held on the forward face of the generator 'casing rear wall and the rear face of the partition wall 16,' respec-` tively.

In order to facilitate turning movement of the rear casing section 15, a hexagonal or multi-faced cap 82 is detachably associated with the rear end` of said casing section 15 by a bayonet joint 83, which also prevents rolling ofthe lampwhen laid on a flat surface. The cap is also formed with a bulged portion 84 defining together with the wall 29, a space for the reception of lan extra lamp.

In use, the operator initially moves thev frusto-conical formation'of the forwardportion, `the governor arms to expand for increasing the speed of the rotor between the limits illustrated. A still further 'movement ofthe handle 72'rearwardly causes the member 64'to engage the shoulders 78 of the stub shafts 59, thereby eifectin axial adjustment of the lamp socketan `lamp to vary the focus. The manipulating handle maybe set .at any position depending on Jyvhat the operator desires to use the light or. l

What is claimed'is: l. 1. A dash-light, including an electric lamp, a lfixed reflector, a generator connected with said lamp for roducing a source of ener to illuminate t e same, a spring motor or driving the generator, a governor for regulating the speed of ,operation of the generator, and'including a common means for conmovement o 'the lamp with-respect to the fixed reflector to vary the-focus of the same. 2. A -iash-light, including an electric lamp, a 'fixed reflector, a generator for producing aV source of ener to illuminate the lamp, a springmotor or driving the generator, a governor for"regulating the speed ofoperation o f the generator, and including overnor and' effecting relative iso - a common manipulating operable means for l connected with the rotor, and inc uding a combined device constituting a brake engageable with and disengageable from the rotor to hold the same respectively inactive and allow for driving of the rotor,` to serve as a governor regulator to permit of variation of the speedof the `rotor and to constitute a magnetically attracted keeper for the rotor to prevent loss of magnetism.

4. In a flash-light, a generator including' a stator and a rotor, a spring motor for driving the rotor, a centrifugal speed governor connected with the rotor, and including a combined device constituting a brake engageable with and disengageable from the rotor to hold the same respectively inactive and allow fordrivingof the rotor, to serve l as a governor regulator to permit of variation of the speed of they rotor and to cony 1,624,6se

`stitute agmagneticall attracted keeper for the rotor to prevent oss of magnetism, said fiash-light including a lamp, a fixed refiector, a switch, and a ncircuit including thev lamp', switch and generator, and acommon man1.

pulatingl means-operablefto move said de.- vice, open and close theswitch, and adjust the lamp with respect to the reiiectr` for varying the focus. v v

5. -A flash-light including a casing having a fixed reflector, a lamp, a lamp socket therefor mounted for relative movement with respect to the reflector,L a circuit' including a,

spring-motor-operated generator, the saidI lamp socket and a switchimeans for normal-v ly holding the lamp soc et in one position with respect to the refiector, a common means for controlling the opening and closing off the switch and for effecting movement of the lamp socket with respect to the vreflector for focusing the lamp; in combination with a centrifugal speed governor connected with the rotor of the generator, and including a vmovable magnetic brake 'o erable by the common switch-closing an lamp-focusing means, said brake having agovernor-enga f ing portion for varying the speed of t e l governor upon movement of the brake.

RENSSELAER J. SMITH. l 

